I read this for the first time only a few years ago but at the time I hadn't also read every other Discworld book up to this point, so I maybe didn't appreciate all of the references and call-backs that exist within it. I know I enjoyed it then, and I enjoyed it this time too. But...
I'm fairly certain that if you weren't already a Discworld fan then you may not enjoy it so much. There is certainly too much going on in the book. It's a Moist Von Lipwig 'Industrial Revolution' novel, but Vimes is jostling for prominence here too, along with the new character of Simnel, the old but tragically under-explored character of Harry King, and of course Vetinari too. If I'm trying to look at the book objectively then I wonder if this is a mess of under-developed characters that rely too heavily on prior knowledge. Yet... I also wonder if I should look at this objectively. It's a book made for me. I know these people already. I understand who Vimes is and he doesn't need to be developed further for me to understand him. It's essentially literary comfort food and I can't say I don't appreciate it. Maybe I'm thinking a little too deeply about this.
Anyway... In this book we see Moist Von Lipwig charged with ensuring the proper rollout of the train service, supporting Dick Simnel as the genius engineer who has finally successfully tamed steam, and Harry King who has all the money in the underworld to fund the endeavour. The majority of the first half is about this rollout of new technology and the enchantment it places on the ordinary people of Ankh-Morpork, Drumknott included. In the background, however, we see tensions arising with the Dwarves, specifically the Grags who hate the 'Humanising' of the dwarvbes and the raising of other species such as goblins or trolls as equals. This B-plot morphs in to the A plot in the latter part of the book, as the Low 'King' must return to their capital where a Grag coup has taken place and rightfully take their place as the more progressive leader of the Dwarves.
That's it. I've written enough about it. I will go to bed now.
Finished reading - 10/08/26